For Table And Cellar: Warm Up With Italian Wine

Italian red wines always have a place in one’s cellar. There is such a wide range to choose from, why not have a few on hand? While not all wines are meant to age, many Italian reds have the bones to sit in the cellar until called upon—meanwhile, many can be enjoyed whenever, albeit with a bit of decanting.

How can you tell if your wine is actually meant to age? If you have the luxury of a second bottle of any particular wine, enjoy a glass tonight and come back to the bottle tomorrow (or even the next day). Any improvement or stability in the wine after it has been opened shows structure that indicates potential cellar aging capacity.

You also want to sleuth out tannins. More tannins when young (even if they aren’t quite friendly at the moment) signal the benefits of cellar time. Tannins act as preservers, thanks to their antioxidant components. High tannins plus good acidity are hallmarks of age-ability.

Fortified wines generally do very well when aged, a functional component of why they were ‘invented’ back in the day when wines traveled the seven seas to make their way to Great Britain. Not to swing away from our theme of Italian wines here, Vermouth and Marsala are two Fortified wines from Italy.

If your wine already looks a bit faded around the edges, it’s probably already hit its stride. We’re looking for vibrant color, to begin with. Vibrant color, good structure, complexity, generous acids and tannins—these all come together now and then again later, after cellar time. The idea is to start with something well built.

Barolo and Amarone are generally estimated to drink well after 10-20 years. Taurasi, comprised of the Aglianico variety, has about 7-10 years for an entry-level wine but can soar for decades when fine-tuned with a combination of elite vintage and vineyard. Tuscan blends based on Sangiovese and international varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot can go anywhere from 5-15 years, depending on the blend. A single blend wine such as Gaglioppo from the Calabria region can sit from 3-5 years in the cellar.

Looks like you’ve enjoyed a nice solid sampling there to start the new year. Great rules of thumb provided here for aging tips. I’m always watching my bottles trying to determine the best time based on the vintage and type of grape without knowing what’s in the bottle : )